THE SOUTHERN GROSS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 13

THE SOUTHERN GROSS.

FLIGHT TO DERBY.

SEARCH FOR ANDERSON.

TWO LEADERS' PLANS.

NEEDED REPAIRS EIRST

NO SIGN OE KOOKABURRA

SYDNEY. April 13 The crew of tho Southern Cross, in spite of their gruelling experience on tho mud flat- near tho west coast of Western Australia, tlew their machine to Derby yesterday in two hours. As soon as the petrol had been transferred from Captain Heath's aeroplane and others the engines of the giant monoplane were started with ease.

The ground was then cleared of stones and small trees. The mud flat had dried considerably.

£'quadron-Leader Kingsford Smith and Flight-Lieutenant Ulm went on board the machino, but T. H. Me, William and H. A. Litchfield were taken off in other aeroplanes to lighten the load of the Southern Cross, which quickly gathered speed and rose after a run of about 400 yards. Smith then tlew over the Port George IV. rnision station. The other aeroplanes followed at short intervals. All set out for Derby. The crew of the monoplane were all in fine trim. Smith and Ulm intend to fly to Wyndham as soon as the necessary repairs are finished. Then they will search for Lieutenant Keith Anderson and his mechanic, Mr. Hitchcock. At a civic reception later Smith expressed his admiration for the courage of the West Australian Airways pilots, Chater, Woods, Heath and O'Dea. Ulm drew attention to the inaccuracy of their maps which, he said, had contributed largely to their forced stay at the point of landing. He explained that difficulty had been experienced in lighting fires \hrough rain. Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, intercepted messages from Captain Holden on the air liner Canberra. For the past three days he has been searching over the Wyndham end of Anderson's route without avail. He says ho investigated a number of fires and passed over very rough country, also the Alice Downs station.

Captain Holden landed at Flora Valley station, where he is establishing a newbase from which to continue his search for the missing aviators.

Ulm says: We believe Anderson and Hitchcock havo about only two chances. The first is that they landed near some outback cattle station. The second is that they wero lucky enough to reach a windmill, of which a few are scattered through the country thereabouts.

SEARCH FROM AIR.

SOUTHERN CROSS STARTS. DEPARTURE FOR WYNDHAM. (Received April '2O, 1.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 19. An Amalgamated Wireless report says the Southern Cross flew from Derby today at noon to Wvndham, to commence at the earliest moment a search for Anderson and his mechanic, Hitchcock, who arc still missing. Air Force aeroplanes to-day searched for 5i hours in the vicinity of Alice Springs, and will continue to search to morrow.

BLACK TRACKERS FAIL.

LAST NEWS OF MACHINE. SPECIAL SEARCH ARRANGED. [BY TELEGRAM. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Wireless broadcast messages received late this evening from Sydney stated that the Flora Valley Station had reported having seen two black trackers, who had been en route since April 8, and that neither had seen or heard of Anderson's aeroplane.

Rumours were still being received that a machine had been heard in that vicinity. A message from Wyndharn stated that tho Kookaburra was last heard of 150 miles from Alicetown. It was announced at Sydney that the Government was making special arrangements for a search.